Start making jewelry
Saw, hammer and solder silver into rings, pendants and earrings at a small bench. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first ring.
Space neededA small desk by a window
First projectA hammered silver band
Skill levelBeginner-friendly
Good forSmall spaces, steady hands
The video that hooks everyone
A silver and turquoise inlay ring, made without a lathe
A bright silver band gets a stripe of turquoise inlaid all the way around it, made without a lathe. The finished ring sits beside a chunk of turquoise. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't.
Starter kit
01Jeweler's saw + bench pinCuts metal cleanly. Buy a dozen blades; they snap.
02Sterling silver stripFlat strip, 14 or 16 gauge, for the band.
03Ring mandrelTapered steel rod for bending and sizing rings.
04Mallet + ball-peen hammerThe mallet shapes. The hammer adds the texture.
05Steel bench blockA flat, hard surface to hammer on.
06Butane torch + soldering blockEnough heat for a ring-size solder joint.
07Hard solder + fluxJoins the seam. Flux keeps it clean so solder flows.
08Pickle + a small potCleans off the dark scale after heating.
09Files + sandpaperSmooth the seam, then polish to a shine.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Gaps at the seamSolder won't fill a gap. File the ends square until they meet with no light showing through.
- 2Heating just the seamSolder flows toward heat. Warm the whole ring evenly, then focus on the seam.
- 3Forgetting the stretchHammering and rounding stretch the band. Cut the strip a touch short, or plan to size up a little.
